Written Answers Thursday 24 September 2009

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total tonnage is of soya used in feed fed to farm animals.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not collect information on total tonnage of feed fed to animals. However, it has been estimated that the UK consumes 2.525 million tonnes of soya products in animal feed, of which Scotland uses an estimated 10%.

Agriculture

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total tonnage is of feed fed to farm animals.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government does not collect information on total tonnage of feed fed to animals.

  An estimate of the tonnage of feed concentrates can be generated by using recommended feed rations from the Scottish Agricultural College Farm Management Handbook and applying this to livestock numbers in Scotland.

  This generates an estimate of 1.8 million tonnes of compound, blended and concentrate feed requirements in Scotland in 2008. This estimate does not include (or account for) any additional silage/forage feed or grazing that is required.

Agriculture

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much soya used in Scottish animal feed comes from (a) Brazil, (b) Argentina and (c) the United States of America.

Roseanna Cunningham: Research recently undertaken for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs suggests that at present the UK livestock sector is effectively dependent on imported soya feed, over 90% of which comes from Brazil and Argentina. In 2007-08 the UK imported in total approximately 2.2 million tonnes of soybean meal and 0.8 million tonnes of soybeans.

Agriculture

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how much soya used in UK animal feed comes from (a) Brazil, (b) Argentina and (c) the United States of America.

Roseanna Cunningham: The latest available confirmed figures show that in 2007 the volume of oil cake and meal of soya beans imported into the United Kingdom from Brazil was 731,122 tonnes, from Argentina 999,107 tonnes and from the United States of America 48,687 tonnes. The UK also imports soya cake and meal from other EU countries, and it should be noted that a large proportion of this material would have originated in Brazil, Argentina and the USA.

Bathing Waters

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the sources of the pollution were that resulted in bathing waters at Sandyhill beach being assessed as of poor quality during the 2009 bathing season.

Roseanna Cunningham: A combination of diffuse agricultural pollution and sewage-related pollution is suspected. Microbial source tracking samples have been collected for analysis.

Bathing Waters

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the sources of the pollution were that resulted in bathing waters at Ettrick Bay beach being assessed as of poor quality during the 2009 bathing season.

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the sources of the pollution were that resulted in bathing waters at Heads of Ayr beach being assessed as of poor quality during the 2009 bathing season.

Roseanna Cunningham: Significant rainfall, causing diffuse agricultural pollution to be washed from the land.

Bathing Waters

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the sources of the pollution were that resulted in bathing waters at Saltcoats and Ardrossan beaches being assessed as of poor quality during the 2009 bathing season.

Roseanna Cunningham: A mix of diffuse rural and urban pollution, following heavy rainfall, is suspected. Microbial source tracking samples have been collected for analysis.

Bathing Waters

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the sources of the pollution were that resulted in bathing waters at Irvine beach being assessed as of poor quality during the 2009 bathing season.

Roseanna Cunningham: Of the season’s 20 samples, one was poor because of mechanical failure at a nearby sewage pumping station, and a second poor result was due to a mix of diffuse agricultural and urban pollution, following heavy rain.

Bathing Waters

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason daily information on predicted water quality is provided at only 11 out of 80 EC designated bathing water sites, and how these sites were selected.

Roseanna Cunningham: Electronic signage with daily information has been trialled and is being extended as resources have been made available. Sites for the programme of electronic signage were chosen on the basis of: the number of poor water quality results at the site, the ability of each location (and catchment) to be predictable by mathematical models, the numbers of people using the bathing water, and geographic spread.

Bathing Waters

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase reporting of predicted water quality at EC designated bathing water beaches.

Roseanna Cunningham: All remaining (non-signage) bathing waters which currently look to be most at risk of not meeting the future EU bathing water standards in 2012 will be the priority ordered by user numbers. Ten to 15 sites are expected to be in this category.

Concessionary Travel

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26509 by Stewart Stevenson on 10 September 2009, whether it will clarify the situation regarding eligibility criteria for the free bus travel scheme for those who will become eligible in the next decade.

Stewart Stevenson: We have agreed to extend the eligibility criteria from 1 April 2011 to include seriously injured HM Forces personnel and veterans. We have no other plans to change the eligibility criteria.

Crime

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people were (a) arrested, (b) charged, (c) prosecuted, (d) found guilty and (e) given a custodial sentence in cases involving (i) domestic violence, (ii) rape, (iii) violence against the person and (iv) burglary in the Lothian and Borders police force area in 2008-09.

Kenny MacAskill: Data on numbers of arrests and charges are not held centrally. The latest available data, to 2007-08, was given in the answer to question S3W-23564 on 15 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

  The statistical bulletin Recorded Crime in Scotland 2008-09 is due to be published on 29 September 2009 and will present statistics on crimes and offences recorded and cleared up by the eight Scottish police forces in 2008-09. Data on prosecutions and convictions in 2008-09 are due to be published in February 2010.

Crime

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many gun-related crimes there were in the Lothian and Borders police force area in 2008-09.

Kenny MacAskill: Statistics on Recorded Crimes and Offences involving Firearms for 2008-09 are due to be published on 27 October 2009.

  For statistics for 2007-08, the latest year for which data is currently available, I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23567 on 15 May 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Crofting

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to remove ring-fencing from the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme and the Croft House Grant Scheme.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Croft House Grant Scheme and the Crofting Counties Agricultural Scheme are operated separately. The funding for neither Scheme is ring-fenced.

  Funding for the Croft House Grant Scheme comes wholly from within the Scottish Government budget. The Crofting Counties Agricultural Scheme is delivered through the Scottish Rural Development Programme and is co-funded by the European Union. Proposals have been submitted to the European Union to allow the Scottish Government to increase the assistance available to young crofters through this Scheme.

Drug Misuse

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been prosecuted for possession of illegal drugs in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) police force area and (b) type of drug.

Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons Proceeded Against for Possession of Drugs1 by Police Force and Drug Type, 1999-2000 to 2007-08

  

 Police Force/Drug Type
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Central 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 194
 194
 280
 232
 174
 176
 171
 197
 177


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 4
 27
 109
 100
 77
 58
 54


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 4
 26
 29
 42
 41
 38
 38


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 4
 9
 14
 7
 39
 12


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 1
 4
 4
 11
 9
 10
 8


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 1
 6
 17
 16
 19
 22
 33


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 1
 2
 7
 6


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 1
 1
 1
 0
 2
 1
 0


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 2
 3
 6
 8
 12
 10


 Central total
 194
 194
 291
 302
 347
 366
 336
 384
 338


 Dumfries and Galloway
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 111
 81
 65
 54
 40
 32
 49
 65
 67


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 3
 13
 23
 49
 36
 18
 35


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 8
 24
 30
 21
 28
 47
 19


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 3
 5
 0
 3
 9
 10


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 2
 5
 3
 4


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 0
 3
 4
 20
 10
 4
 11


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 4
 1
 3
 2


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 2
 1
 2
 1


 Dumfries and Galloway total
 111
 81
 76
 97
 103
 130
 133
 152
 149


 Fife 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 204
 110
 102
 65
 30
 35
 27
 42
 58


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 1
 32
 20
 27
 36
 38
 33


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 3
 18
 29
 47
 45
 51
 41


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 3
 2
 4
 6
 5
 12


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 1
 5
 9
 11
 11
 9
 10


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 2
 10
 13
 12
 15
 8
 11


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 0
 2
 1
 3
 1
 0


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 0
 2
 0
 0
 1
 2


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0
 8
 1


 Fife total
 204
 110
 109
 133
 107
 138
 143
 163
 168


 Grampian 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 474
 389
 505
 259
 326
 253
 214
 203
 216


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 16
 63
 71
 56
 51
 54
 29


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 19
 80
 133
 129
 178
 210
 179


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 4
 20
 26
 28
 50
 79
 102


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 0
 6
 11
 9
 15
 17
 4


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 5
 30
 38
 25
 20
 18
 27


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 3
 2
 6
 4
 8
 3
 6


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0
 2
 0
 2
 0


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 3
 3
 5
 11
 7
 6


 Grampian total
 474
 389
 552
 464
 614
 511
 547
 593
 569


 Lothian and Borders 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 630
 577
 527
 355
 321
 305
 484
 545
 491


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 9
 33
 43
 115
 81
 88
 70


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 2
 21
 56
 125
 95
 131
 120


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 6
 9
 29
 36
 46
 64


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 2
 3
 5
 17
 14
 18
 8


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 1
 5
 29
 50
 40
 42
 60


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 4
 2
 2
 2


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 1


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0
 5
 2
 4
 12


 Lothian and Borders total
 630
 577
 541
 424
 464
 650
 754
 877
 828


 Northern 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 279
 239
 273
 201
 175
 131
 163
 190
 227


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 11
 58
 110
 117
 74
 92
 80


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 2
 16
 13
 16
 29
 50
 49


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 2
 9
 11
 10
 43
 79


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 5
 8
 13
 15
 20
 25
 19


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 7
 33
 38
 30
 42
 76
 104


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 2
 2
 5
 4
 4
 14


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 1
 2
 0
 0
 1
 2


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 0
 4
 3
 4
 3
 7


 Northern total
 279
 239
 298
 321
 366
 328
 346
 484
 581


 Strathclyde 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 2,944
 2,576
 2,727
 1,573
 1,379
 1,148
 1,142
 1,247
 1,487


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 20
 541
 872
 1,009
 985
 1,028
 770


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 13
 311
 589
 689
 623
 754
 651


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 1
 41
 116
 180
 188
 505
 263


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 4
 56
 105
 102
 96
 151
 64


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 2
 123
 267
 313
 321
 258
 340


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 8
 17
 24
 33
 41
 32


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 1
 5
 4
 7
 2
 3


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 21
 107
 146
 118
 159
 118


 Strathclyde total
 2,944
 2,576
 2,767
 2,675
 3,457
 3,615
 3,513
 4,145
 3,728


 Tayside 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 423
 383
 426
 273
 365
 260
 228
 301
 255


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 10
 44
 49
 43
 36
 47
 25


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 5
 22
 22
 49
 52
 121
 111


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 1
 14
 22
 13
 29
 61
 26


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 0
 7
 7
 3
 7
 13
 6


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 14
 35
 26
 38
 25
 58
 20


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 2
 6
 5
 5
 10
 0


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 1
 1
 1
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 3
 5
 4
 2
 9
 7


 Tayside total
 423
 383
 457
 401
 503
 415
 384
 620
 450


 Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 5,259
 4,549
 4,905
 3,012
 2,810
 2,340
 2,478
 2,790
 2,978


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 74
 811
 1,297
 1,516
 1,376
 1,423
 1,096


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 56
 518
 901
 1,118
 1,091
 1,402
 1,208


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 6
 93
 198
 279
 329
 787
 568


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 13
 89
 155
 170
 177
 246
 123


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 32
 245
 432
 504
 492
 486
 606


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 3
 14
 35
 48
 58
 71
 62


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 2
 5
 11
 6
 9
 9
 8


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 30
 122
 172
 146
 204
 162


 Scotland total
 5,259
 4,549
 5,091
 4,817
 5,961
 6,153
 6,156
 7,418
 6,811



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Drug Misuse

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been convicted of possession of illegal drugs, broken down by (a) police force area and (b) type of drug.

Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons with a Charge Proved for Possession of Drugs1 by Police Force and Drug Type, 1999-2000 to 2007-08

  

 Police Force/Drug Type
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Central 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 180
 173
 261
 218
 164
 169
 160
 194
 172


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 4
 27
 107
 94
 71
 54
 48


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 4
 23
 28
 40
 40
 37
 37


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 4
 9
 13
 7
 39
 11


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 1
 4
 4
 10
 7
 10
 7


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 1
 6
 17
 16
 18
 22
 33


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0
 1
 6
 5


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 1
 1
 1
 0
 1
 1
 0


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 2
 3
 6
 7
 11
 7


 Central total
 180
 173
 272
 285
 334
 348
 312
 374
 320


 Dumfries and Galloway
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 99
 75
 62
 47
 37
 28
 48
 64
 66


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 3
 11
 22
 45
 36
 17
 31


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 7
 23
 27
 17
 27
 45
 19


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 2
 4
 0
 3
 9
 9


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 1
 4
 3
 4


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 0
 3
 4
 18
 9
 4
 11


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 4
 1
 3
 2


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 1
 2
 1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 99
 75
 72
 86
 95
 114
 129
 148
 143


 Fife 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 164
 95
 92
 61
 28
 32
 23
 40
 51


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 1
 29
 20
 24
 32
 33
 29


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 2
 12
 25
 43
 41
 47
 41


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 1
 2
 3
 5
 5
 11


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 1
 4
 8
 10
 11
 8
 10


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 2
 10
 10
 12
 13
 8
 9


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 0
 2
 1
 2
 0
 0


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 0
 2
 0
 0
 1
 2


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 7
 1


 Fife total
 164
 95
 98
 117
 97
 125
 127
 149
 154


 Grampian 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 447
 352
 467
 245
 306
 234
 197
 191
 199


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 14
 59
 69
 51
 44
 49
 24


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 16
 74
 125
 122
 168
 201
 171


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 4
 20
 26
 27
 45
 74
 93


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 0
 6
 11
 8
 13
 16
 4


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 5
 30
 35
 24
 19
 18
 26


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 3
 1
 6
 4
 5
 2
 5


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0
 2
 0
 2
 0


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 2
 3
 4
 8
 6
 4


 Grampian total
 447
 352
 509
 438
 581
 476
 499
 559
 526


 Lothian and Borders 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 593
 537
 502
 336
 299
 281
 462
 518
 453


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 8
 28
 38
 102
 71
 77
 60


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 2
 18
 52
 118
 92
 124
 115


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 6
 9
 29
 35
 45
 62


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 2
 3
 5
 14
 14
 17
 7


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 1
 5
 27
 46
 39
 40
 56


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 4
 1
 2
 1


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 1


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 5
 2
 4
 10


 Lothian and Borders total
 593
 537
 515
 396
 431
 599
 716
 828
 765


 Northern 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 260
 220
 269
 184
 167
 125
 155
 180
 212


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 11
 54
 107
 111
 67
 82
 68


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 2
 16
 12
 16
 28
 49
 48


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 0
 2
 9
 10
 9
 43
 78


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 5
 8
 12
 13
 18
 23
 15


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 7
 33
 38
 29
 41
 73
 99


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 2
 2
 4
 4
 4
 14


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 1
 2
 0
 0
 1
 2


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 0
 3
 3
 2
 3
 6


 Northern 
 260
 220
 294
 300
 352
 311
 324
 458
 542


 Strathclyde 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 2,524
 2,152
 2,331
 1,553
 1,370
 1,121
 1,100
 1,203
 1,396


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 19
 501
 786
 901
 867
 953
 699


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 10
 293
 546
 643
 590
 690
 609


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 1
 39
 109
 169
 176
 486
 242


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 3
 54
 93
 91
 87
 145
 57


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 2
 117
 245
 295
 309
 243
 317


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 8
 17
 21
 30
 33
 28


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 0
 1
 4
 4
 7
 2
 3


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 17
 92
 132
 108
 149
 106


 Strathclyde total
 2,524
 2,152
 2,366
 2,583
 3,262
 3,377
 3,274
 3,904
 3,457


 Tayside 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 369
 342
 385
 249
 346
 243
 213
 284
 238


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 9
 39
 41
 37
 33
 44
 22


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 4
 20
 21
 43
 50
 115
 108


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 1
 12
 21
 13
 28
 56
 25


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 0
 7
 7
 3
 6
 13
 6


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 14
 33
 26
 37
 21
 58
 20


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 0
 2
 4
 5
 5
 9
 0


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 1
 1
 1
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 3
 5
 4
 2
 8
 6


 Tayside total
 369
 342
 414
 366
 472
 385
 358
 587
 425


 Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Drug type unknown
 4,636
 3,946
 4,369
 2,893
 2,717
 2,233
 2,358
 2,674
 2,787


 Cannabis 
 0
 0
 69
 748
 1,190
 1,365
 1,221
 1,309
 981


 Heroin 
 0
 0
 47
 479
 836
 1,042
 1,036
 1,308
 1,148


 Cocaine 
 0
 0
 6
 86
 189
 264
 308
 757
 531


 Amphetamines 
 0
 0
 12
 86
 141
 150
 160
 235
 110


 Ecstasy 
 0
 0
 32
 237
 402
 477
 469
 466
 571


 Other Class A
 0
 0
 3
 13
 33
 43
 49
 59
 55


 Other Class B
 0
 0
 2
 5
 10
 6
 8
 9
 8


 Other Class C
 0
 0
 0
 24
 106
 155
 130
 190
 141


 Scotland total
 4,636
 3,946
 4,540
 4,571
 5,624
 5,735
 5,739
 7,007
 6,332



  Note: 1. Where main offence.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many residential alcohol and drug rehabilitation places are available and what action it is taking to support their use to full capacity.

Shona Robison: Information from the National Directory of Drug Services, maintained by the Scottish Drugs Forum, showed that there is currently a total of 451 beds across 28 residential services in Scotland.

  The number of beds does not equate to the number of places which depends on occupancy rates and length of programme.

  It is important that there are a range of services available when people need them. That’s why the Scottish Government is investing record funding and introducing an NHS target to improve access to treatment across Scotland.

  The provision of services is for each local area to consider, taking account of local needs, circumstances and resources. It is for individual NHS boards, local authorities and alcohol and drug partnerships (ADPs) to ensure that appropriate health care services are provided to meet the needs of their resident populations.

  Decisions on the most appropriate treatment for individual patients are taken by clinicians who determine the most appropriate form of treatment, taking account of the needs and circumstances of each patient. Their aim is to ensure that the treatment package will provide the most effective support for the individual.

Energy

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list how much coal was (a) imported to, (b) exported from, (c) produced in and (d) used in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government does not hold information centrally on how much coal was imported to or exported from Scotland.

  However, information on the production of coal in Scotland can be found on the British Geological Survey website at http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/minequar/coal/occ/home.html.

  The following figures relate to the amount of coal produced in Scotland from 2004-08 (tonnes):

  

 2004
 7,546,849 


 2005
 7,754,004


 2006
 6,486,635


 2007
 6,188,094


 2008 
 5,678,067

Energy

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the coal used in Scotland was produced in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Jim Mather: Information on the production of coal in Scotland can be found on the British Geological Survey website at http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/minequar/coal/occ/home.html.

  The following figures relate to the amount of coal produce in Scotland from 2004-08 (tonnes):

  

 2004
 7,546,849 


 2005
 7,754,004


 2006
 6,486,635


 2007
 6,188,094


 2008 
 5,678,067



  However, we do not hold information centrally on the amount of coal produced in Scotland being consumed in Scotland. UK Consumption figures of coal can be found on the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) website. http://www.decc.gov.uk/.

Energy

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the social and environmental implications of the production of biomass for energy production in the countries from which biomass has been imported to Scotland.

Jim Mather: A Biomass Sustainability Working Group is being established and co-chaired by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). This will be a forum to identify and share good practice and to help develop the UK’s position on biomass used for electricity (and heat) related sustainability issues. The Scottish Government will be participating in the process for this group.

  The Forestry Commission also leads the UK Government’s involvement in setting international standards for forest management, and Forestry Commission Scotland advises the Scottish Government on the sustainable procurement of timber products, including biomass.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many home visits home energy advisers are expected to make by the end of 2009 under the Home Insulation Scheme.

Alex Neil: Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) assessors are due to begin visits to every house in a HIS area in early November, with the exception of those households who have previously responded by other means such as in response to a direct mailing. It is not possible at this stage to accurately estimate the number of visits which will be made by the end of 2009. Our planning and funding framework is based on financial years, i.e. 2009-10 for the first phase. When HIS is underway and data is collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to the Home Insulation Scheme in 2010-11.

Alex Neil: In the Scottish Government’s draft budget for 2010-11, published on 7 September, £15 million has been allocated to the Home Insulation Scheme in 2010-11.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23542 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, what the terms will be for the significant loan measure on home insulation announced during the budget process 2009-10, specifically in relation to eligibility of both applicants and measures, repayment mechanisms and any process for repaid funds to be made available to future applicants to the scheme.

Alex Neil: Details on the Scottish Government’s forthcoming household energy efficiency loans scheme shall be announced later this year.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23539 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, what contributions to the Home Insulation Scheme have been made by (a) external bodies, including local authorities, power companies through the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target or other means and (b) housing associations, broken down by value.

Alex Neil: Contributions to the Home Insulation Scheme, which will be in addition to the £15 million allocated by the Scottish Government, will be delivered mainly from Carbon Emissions Reduction Target activity and owner contributions. The amount of investment contributed from these sources will depend on factors such as the uptake of measures under the first phase of the scheme, which will cover around 100,000 homes.

  Complementary investment will also be provided from local councils and other local partners in the selected areas. Complementary investment from some of the local councils selected for the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme is subject to final confirmation and approval. However, at this stage, our provisional estimate is that in the region of £750,000 of complementary investment will be contributed from local agencies.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23538 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, what the expected total householder contribution will be to measures part-funded by the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10, given that the relevant areas have now been selected.

Alex Neil: At this stage it is not possible to estimate what the expected total householder contribution will be to measures part-funded by the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) in 2009-10. The householder contribution will depend on factors such as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target offer for able to pay households that it is possible to secure as part of the procurement process. When HIS is fully underway and data is being collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23535 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, what the estimated carbon emissions reduction will be from the operation of the Home Insulation Scheme over the duration of the scheme and how that reduction will be calculated.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has made an initial estimate that the Home Insulation Scheme could save in the region of 24,250 tCO2e in 2009-10. The actual emission savings achieved will depend on a range of factors including levels of uptake by householders. The implementation of the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme will be evaluated with a view to informing its development in subsequent years. The emission savings achieved will be calculated within the framework for standard carbon assessment being developed by the Scottish Government.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23534 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, whether there has been a change to the estimated carbon emissions reduction from the operation of the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10 and how that will be calculated.

Alex Neil: Our initial estimate of potential emission savings under the Home Insulation Scheme remains as stated in my answer to question S3W-23534 on 12 May 2009. The Scottish Government’s analytical framework for carbon assessment is under continuing development and this may affect the calculation of future estimates.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23532 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, what proportion of the work under the Home Insulation Scheme in 2009-10 is expected to cover hard-to-treat properties.

Alex Neil: Households living in hard-to-treat properties will be assisted under the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) through the provision of energy audits, benefits advice and social tariff checks. Figures for the number of such properties assisted will not be available until HIS delivery has begun and monitoring and evaluation has taken place. However, HIS will focus on the delivery of insulation measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation and for this reason we have selected areas which offer greater potential for these measures.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23531 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, how many households will be eligible to receive reduced-cost insulation measures under the Home Insulation Scheme in the areas selected for 2009-10 and what proportion of households in those areas this represents.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23530 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, how many households will be eligible to receive free insulation measures under the Home Insulation Scheme in the areas selected for 2009-10 and what proportion of households in those areas this represents.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23510 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, what proportion of households in each of the areas selected will be eligible for reduced-cost insulation measures under the criteria to be used for the Home Insulation Scheme, broken down by the level of reduction, and what proportion of the population lives in those households.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23509 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, what proportion of households in each of the areas selected will be eligible for free insulation measures under the eligibility criteria to be used for the Home Insulation Scheme and what proportion of the population lives in these households.

Alex Neil: All households within Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) areas are eligible to receive insulation measures either free, or at a reduced cost compared to the normal market cost of installation, providing that their house is suitable for the relevant measure. While able-to-pay households will receive insulation at reduced cost, they will be required to make a financial contribution to the costs of installation, if they wish to receive the measures.

  At this stage, it is not possible to estimate how many households will be eligible to receive reduced-cost insulation measures under HIS in the areas selected for 2009-10, as opposed to those eligible for free measures, and what proportion of households in those areas each group represents. Eligibility for free measures is determined both by ability of a property to take HIS measures and the socio-economic status of the householder. When HIS is fully underway and data is being collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23529 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, what proportion of the £15 million allocated to the Home Insulation Scheme will be spent on (a) insulation materials, (b) labour costs to install insulation, (c) publicity and promotion and (d) administration.

Alex Neil: It is estimated that the cost of the development, implementation, administration and marketing, including publicity and promotion, of the Home Insulation Scheme, by the managing agent for the scheme, the Energy Saving Trust, will be approximately £5.5 million. This funding will provide for a combination of direct delivery of services, including doorstep visits, data collection and tailored energy advice to up to 100,000 households, and management of the delivery of energy efficiency measures by third parties.

  The bulk of the remaining funding has been allocated for the provision of energy efficiency measures which will include the cost of both insulation materials and labour costs to install insulation. This will include funding to cover additional costs in island areas. A small proportion of the overall funding will be used for scheme evaluation.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23528 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, whether it has a target date by which it aims for all homes in Scotland to be insulated and, if so, to what minimum standard and by what date.

Alex Neil: We welcome the UK Government’s ambition to insulate all cavities and lofts by 2015 (which was reaffirmed in its UK Low Carbon Transition), and indicated that we believe this will not be met in Scotland unless changes are made to the framework for the delivery of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the obligation that supersedes it. The Home Insulation Scheme will contribute towards this ambition, but the degree to which it can be achieved will partly depend on decisions made around the future of CERT.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23527 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, whether it has a target date by which it aims to have insulated all homes eligible under the Home Insulation Scheme and, if so, to what minimum standard and by what date.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23525 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, whether it has a target date by which it aims to insulate all easy-to-treat homes eligible under the Home Insulation Scheme and, if so, to what minimum standard and by what date.

Alex Neil: Our target date for completion of door-step assessments of all eligible homes under the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) is 31 March 2010 with delivery of insulation in all suitable homes where owners want it by that date, or shortly thereafter. The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, will work with delivery partners to ensure that these measures are installed to a high standard. Monitoring of the quality of the measures installed will be a feature of HIS.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23526 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, whether it has a target date by which it aims to insulate all hard-to-treat homes eligible under the Home Insulation Scheme and, if so, to what minimum standard and by what date.

Alex Neil: Our target date for completion of door-step assessments of all eligible homes under the first phase of the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) is 31 March 2010 with delivery of insulation in all suitable homes where owners want them by that date, or shortly thereafter. The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, will work with delivery partners to ensure that these measures are installed to a high standard. Monitoring of the quality of the measures installed will be a feature of HIS.

  It is, however, likely that loft and cavity wall insulation will generally not be appropriate for hard-to-treat homes and that such properties will be assisted through the provision of energy audits, benefits advice and social tariff checks where appropriate.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23524 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, whether it has a date by which the Home Insulation Scheme is expected to have been rolled out to all areas of Scotland.

Alex Neil: We recognise the need to make substantial progress in our existing housing stock to meet our climate change ambitions. Whilst resources are tight, we have made a significant start by identifying resources for the Home Insulation Scheme in the 2009-10 Budget, and, subject to parliamentary approval, in 2010-11. Again subject to parliamentary approval, we intend to continue in budgetary terms year by year towards the achievement of a step-change in energy efficiency and insulation by 2020. The first phase of investment and the associated evaluation will assist in determining the best way of taking this forward in future years.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23521 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, what processes and criteria are being used to select additional external partners to help deliver the Home Insulation Scheme.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23521 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, which additional external partners have been selected to help deliver the Home Insulation Scheme.

Alex Neil: The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, is currently carrying out a procurement exercise to appoint the supplier offering the best deal for Home Insulation Scheme customers in a given area. This will be an open and competitive process in order to obtain value for money and to reflect EU procedures and regulations. It will be the responsibility of each supplier, when appointed, to enter into contracts as they see fit to ensure that the required skills are available to ensure installation of appropriate insulation measures in each area.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23517 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, how many households are expected to have insulation measures installed in 2009-10 that will be partly paid for under the Home Insulation Scheme.

Alex Neil: At this stage, it is not possible to estimate how many households will have insulation measures installed under the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) that will be partly paid for. When HIS is fully underway and data is being collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23517 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, how many households are expected to have insulation measures installed in 2009-10 that will be fully paid for under the Home Insulation Scheme.

Alex Neil: At this stage, it is not possible to estimate how many households will have insulation measures installed under the Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) that will be fully paid for. When HIS is fully underway and data is being collected for monitoring and evaluation purposes it will be possible to provide more informed estimates.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23515 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, in which areas the Home Insulation Scheme will be deployed in 2010-11 and what proportion of the total population resides in those areas.

Alex Neil: The areas in which the Home Insulation Scheme will be deployed in 2010-11 have not yet been selected.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23514 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, how the areas selected for the first year’s deployment of the Home Insulation Scheme were chosen.

Alex Neil: Seven criteria for area selection were agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) following a joint COSLA-Scottish Government workshop for local authorities on 28 April. Local authorities attending this joint session contributed to discussion which helped shape the agreed criteria. Local authorities were then asked to submit bids, providing information relating to their proposed areas against the following selection criteria:

  Criteria A: Levels of carbon emissions in an area/neighbourhood

  Criteria B: Levels of fuel poverty in an area/neighbourhood

  Criteria C: Numbers of dwellings that can be treated with loft insulation and cavity fill

  Criteria D: Potential for complementary funding from other sources

  Criteria E: Appropriate mix of geographical areas

  Criteria F: Ability to deliver within the prescribed timescale

  Criteria G: Mechanisms for community engagement.

  An assessment panel, consisting of Scottish Government officials and a representative from Energy Action Scotland, was then established to consider bids. To assist the panel, guidance was developed to underpin the seven overall assessment criteria. There then followed a three-stage process – individual assessment by each panel member; followed by collective assessment of the stronger applications by the panel, and then further discussion with relevant council officers from short-listed councils at interview prior to decision and recommendation. The Energy Saving Trust also supplied expert advice in a non-voting capacity.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23511 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, in the case of rented accommodation, what proportion of contributions towards the cost of insulation measures under the Home Insulation Scheme will be sought from tenants and what proportion from landlords.

Alex Neil: If the tenant of a private landlord is within a priority group under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme then no client contribution is required. The anticipation is that private landlords will normally pay any financial contribution towards the cost of insulation measures in cases where such a contribution is required. However, the tenant would be given the option to pay this contribution if the landlord refused to do so.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23507 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, if eligibility criteria for reduced-cost insulation under the Home Insulation Scheme by means-testing have already been determined, whether they include any non-financial criteria.

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23507 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, whether eligibility criteria for reduced-cost insulation under the Home Insulation Scheme by means-testing have been determined and, if so, how the level of householder contribution will be calculated.

Alex Neil: All households within Home Insulation Scheme areas are eligible to receive insulation measures either free, or at a reduced cost compared to the normal market cost of installation, providing that their house is suitable for the relevant measure. While able-to-pay households will receive insulation at reduced cost, they will be required to make a financial contribution to the costs of installation, if they wish to receive the measures. The Energy Saving Trust, as managing agent, is currently carrying out a procurement exercise to appoint the supplier offering the best deal for HIS customers in a given area. The level of householder contribution will be determined by the outcome of a procurement exercise which is not yet complete.

  Eligibility for free insulation measures will be similar to that applied by the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme, which focuses on benefit entitlement, but also includes the over-70s as a priority group.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23506 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, when the first insulation installations (a) were or (b) will be carried out under the Home Insulation Scheme.

Alex Neil: The first insulation installations under the Home Insulation Scheme are expected to be carried out in early December 2009.

Energy Efficiency

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23504 by Alex Neil on 11 May 2009, whether complementary investment from partners has been secured for publicity and promotion of the Home Insulation Scheme.

Alex Neil: The bulk of publicity and promotion costs under the Home Insulation Scheme will be delivered by the managing agent and funded by the Scottish Government. However, in some cases, local agencies are providing complementary support for publicity and promotion.

Environment

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will oppose the designation of the Pacific oyster as a non-native invasive species in Scottish waters.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government takes account of all relevant scientific information before coming to a view about the requirements for regulation or management of any species.

  The UK Alien Species Technical Advisory Group established to inform the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) has classified Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) as a "high-impact species" in relation to their impact on native habitats and biota. If high impact species are established in a water body, this would prevent the water body being classified as high-status for the purpose of the Directive.

  The Scottish Government together with the other GB administrations has requested the Risk Analysis Panel of the GB Non-Native Invasive Species Programme to undertake an analysis to assess the level of risk posed by the species, the outcome of which will inform any further consideration by the UK Water Framework Directive Alien Species Technical Advisory Group of its recommendations.

Environment

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total area is of blanket peat bog in or near favourable condition and what steps are being taken to increase this.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Countryside Survey 2007, the most recent country-wide assessment of habitat extent, estimates the area of blanket bog in Scotland as 1.1m ha. This survey does not attempt to distinguish on a quantitative basis between areas in favourable and unfavourable condition.

  Scottish Natural Heritage assesses the condition of features on designated sites on a cyclical basis. Recent monitoring indicated that the blanket bog on 64% of sites was in favourable or recovering condition, with the feature on 36% of sites being in unfavourable condition. However, continuing changes in management, including those supported through the Scottish Rural Development Programme should have improved that position.

  Funding for peatland restoration is provided through the Scottish Rural Development Programme, with measures covering Rural Priority Options and their associated capital items like drainblocking. In addition Scottish Natural Heritage funds moorland projects through their Natural Care scheme.

Environment

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s report into the state of contaminated land in 2009 to be published.

Roseanna Cunningham: The State of Contaminated Land Report was published in May 2009 and is available at http://www.sepa.org.uk/land/land_publications.aspx .

Environment

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what input it has had into the review of the National Emission Ceilings Directive 2001/81/EC.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Government has had no direct input into the European Commission’s review of the National Emissions Ceilings Directive 2001/81/EC. However, we have been working closely with the UK Government on the provision of supporting information which will inform the development of the UK’s future negotiating line.

  Once a proposal is published by the Commission the Scottish Government will look closely at what it might mean for Scotland. Scottish stakeholders’ views on the proposal will be considered and we will work with the UK Government to try to persuade them to represent Scottish interests in the UK’s negotiating lines.

Flood Prevention

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on additional resources allocated by HM Treasury for flood risk management in England and Wales in each year since May 2007 and what the relevant Barnett consequentials have been for Scotland.

Roseanna Cunningham: HM Treasury advises the Scottish Government from time to time of changes – both up and down – in the overall Scottish Block budget consequent on changes in Departmental spending totals in England and Wales affecting programmes that are included in the Barnett arrangements as comparable to Scotland. The source of these changes is a matter for the relevant Whitehall Departments and their ministers. Barnett consequentials accrue to the Scottish Block as a whole. Consequently, decisions about how the changes in overall budgets should be reflected in Scottish spending totals are matters for Scottish ministers. Scotland has received no Barnett consequentials in respect of funding for flood risk management in England and Wales since May 2007.

Flood Prevention

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress there has been in establishing the Scottish Flood Forum and engaging with residents in identified flood risk areas in Kilmarnock and Loudoun.

Roseanna Cunningham: The Scottish Flood Forum (SFF) is an independent body funded by the Scottish Government. It was set up in October 2008 and has been working closely with SEPA to encourage people and communities at risk of flooding to take action for themselves and prepare for future flood events. During its first year it has been working mainly with communities in Broxburn, Freuchie, Dumfries and Hawick to help residents set up community flood groups.

  The SFF has also responded to recent flood events in Cupar and Milnathort and has provided advice and support through personal visits and "drop in" flood surgeries for victims of the July floods. It has been praised by local councillors in Fife for providing an invaluable service to those who have been unfortunate to have suffered in those flood events.

  The SFF has met East Ayrshire Council to discuss how it can support people and local businesses at risk from flooding in the area. In Kilmarnock the SFF is working with the Chamber of Commerce and the Kilmarnock Business Gateway to build resilience and offer training to help businesses prepare for flooding.

  The SFF has not been active in Loudoun to-date but would be happy to offer support to communities there if required.

Flood Prevention

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which areas it considers to be a priority for new or improved flood prevention measures.

Roseanna Cunningham: It is for each local authority to consider its priorities for managing flooding in its area.

Forth Crossing

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what further consideration it has given since January 2008 to proposals for a fast ferry crossing of the Firth of Forth.

Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government continues to support strongly the principle of cross-Forth ferry travel and is keen to see progress on hovercraft and other cross-Forth ferry services. Any specific proposals are, however, a matter for local government to take forward. Fife and the City of Edinburgh Councils, along with SEStran and other partners have commissioned a study of cross-Forth travel, which is due to report later this year.

Fuel Poverty

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23533 by Alex Neil on 12 May 2009, how many households the Home Insulation Scheme will take out of fuel poverty in 2009-10 and what proportion of households in fuel poverty this represents in each selected area.

Alex Neil: Door-step assessments in Home Insulation Scheme (HIS) areas will seek to identify households vulnerable to fuel poverty to enable them to be referred to appropriate services such as provision of benefit advice, social tariff checks and insulation measures. Information on the number of households identified as vulnerable to fuel poverty and those referred to, and subsequently receiving services will be available when HIS is underway and data is collected for monitoring purposes. The evaluation process for HIS will then be able to use this information to assess the impact of the scheme on fuel poverty.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on whether the Food Standards Agency is monitoring linseed for GM contamination.

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of news of linseed contaminated with "Triffid" GM seed in Canada, what precautions are being taken in Scotland against its import.

Roseanna Cunningham: I am informed by the Food Standards Agency that the agency is aware of the rapid alert for food and feed (RASFF) issued on 8 September by the German authorities regarding the detection of the GM flax/linseed variety FP967 in products originating from Canada. Additional investigations carried out by the German authorities have identified the batches of products affected and confirmed that these were imported by a single German company.

  Further RASFFs issued on 11 and 15 September and investigations by the German authorities report details of the distribution of GM flax/linseed to other Member States, but this does not include the UK.

  The information provided to date therefore shows no evidence of distribution of these particular products to the UK and therefore no grounds for issuing a food alert. The agency will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action as required.

  UK official control laboratories have been alerted to the situation and a method of analysis forwarded by the European Community Reference Laboratory for GMOs has been circulated to these laboratories.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on how much animal feed is imported into the United Kingdom.

Roseanna Cunningham: The latest available confirmed figures show that the volume of animal feed ingredients (not including whole cereal grains) imported into the UK in 2007 was 4,930,871 tonnes. In addition, it is estimated that 899,000 tonnes of imported whole cereal grain was used in animal feeding stuffs in the UK in 2007-08.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much imported animal feed is used in Scotland.

Roseanna Cunningham: The total tonnes of animal feeding stuffs (not including unmilled cereals) imported into Scotland in 2008 was 1,345,471. The total tonnes of animal feeding stuffs (not including unmilled cereals) imported into Scotland in the first two quarters of 2009 was 634,490. These figures are derived from Revenue and Customs Regional Trade Statistics and do not include imports from the rest of the UK.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what minimum content of genetically modified organisms is found in animal feed labelled as containing such organisms.

Roseanna Cunningham: I am informed by the Food Standards Agency that there is no maximum or minimum content as such of GM material in animal feed. Labelling is required for feed materials that deliberately contain any amount of GMOs or GM-derived material. However, labelling is not required for consignments containing adventitious or technically unavoidable traces of GM material approved in the EU, up to a threshold of 0.9%.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what maximum content of genetically modified organisms is found in animal feed labelled as containing such organisms.

Roseanna Cunningham: I am informed by the Food Standards Agency that there is no maximum or minimum content as such of GM material in animal feed. Labelling is required for feed materials that deliberately contain any amount of GMOs or GM-derived material. However, labelling is not required for consignments containing adventitious or technically unavoidable traces of GM material approved in the EU, up to a threshold of 0.9%.

Health

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to help ensure that fracture patients have access to a high-quality fracture liaison service no matter where they live.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government supports the sharing of good practice between NHS boards to ensure the best quality services are accessible to patients.

  It is for NHS boards to determine the level of service need and provide services accordingly.

Health

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to change the boundaries of regional NHS boards.

Nicola Sturgeon: There are no plans to change the boundaries of NHS boards.

Health

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met NHS Fife and what issues were discussed.

Nicola Sturgeon: I met representatives of NHS Fife on 22 September when I opened the new St Andrews Community Hospital and attended a Patient Safety Month event at Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline. Our discussions focussed on the events in question. Scottish Government Health Directorates officials meet regularly with NHS Fife to discuss matters of current interest.

Housing

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a tenancy deposit scheme is its preferred option for safeguarding tenancy deposits and, if so, what its timescale is for introducing such a scheme.

Alex Neil: We have taken account of the interest also shown in this issue by Jamie McGrigor, Bob Doris and Iain Smith. At the last tenancy deposit working group on 1 September the stakeholder members, representing the full range of interests, agreed that a single, national mandatory scheme for safeguarding tenancy deposits was the best way forward. Earlier in the summer the group had defined the criteria for any solution to the issue of unfairly withheld deposits.

  The group will meet again in the next couple of months to consider the details of the scheme, the lessons to learn from schemes running in England and Wales and how best to provide for adjudicating disputes. This will allow the scheme to be defined so that the enabling secondary legislation can be prepared and come to Parliament in the spring.

Housing

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26597 by Alex Neil on 8 September 2009, which showed that no one had benefited from the mortgage to shared equity scheme by that date, what it considers to be the reason for such a low uptake of the scheme.

Alex Neil: Most applicants to the Home Owners’ Support Fund have less than 25% of the equity in their property and are therefore being helped through the Mortgage to Rent (MTR) scheme rather than the Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE) scheme. Others who have been eligible for MTSE have opted for MTR instead. A review is currently underway to consider eligibility criteria for the schemes.

Housing

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23503 by Alex Neil on 13 May 2009, whether publicity and promotion for the Home Insulation Scheme announced in the 2009-10 budget has begun and, if not, when it will begin.

Alex Neil: Marketing of the Home Insulation Scheme is due to begin in late September 2009 to raise awareness within the participating areas. A publicity campaign will launch in early November and will last for the duration of the first phase, until 31 March 2010.

Mental Health

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will invest in dementia services in Fife to ensure that quality provision is available at all levels of need and appropriate funding is available.

Shona Robison: Dementia is a national priority for this government with our target on early diagnosis and the range of other national activity, including on post-diagnostic support, public awareness and guidance on care in acute and accident and emergency settings all designed to complement and support the delivery of dementia services locally. The Dementia Strategy will be published in April 2010 and will build on our joint achievements and activity to date .

  Investment in and spend on dementia services is drawn by NHS Fife and Fife Council from overall resources provided to them by the Scottish Government. It is the responsibility of NHS Fife and Fife Council to work in partnership to allocate funds on the basis of local needs and priorities in ensuring the continuum of health and social care needed by those with dementia as their condition progresses. Planning partners in Fife are nearing the completion of producing of a comprehensive dementia strategy which we anticipate will include consideration on local investment and the design of local dementia services.

Mental Health

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been diagnosed with dementia in the NHS Lothian area in each year since 1999.

Shona Robison: The requested information is not held centrally.

  Under the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) element of the current General Medical Services contract GPs have since March 2006 maintained a register of patients who they know have a diagnosis of dementia. The register comprises patients who are newly diagnosed within the registering year and those who are diagnosed prior to the registering year.

  The total number of persons included on QOF dementia registers in NHS Lothian practices are as follows:

  

 Year ending March 2007
 4,797


 Year ending March 2008
 5,033



  A very small number of GP practices with NHS Lothian are not included in these figures. Also, these figures may include non-Lothian residents who are registered with a Lothian practice, and may exclude Lothian residents who are registered with a practice outwith NHS Lothian.

  We recognised in 2007 that the number of people on the GP dementia register was less than we expected from survey data available. That is why we put in place a national target for NHS boards to deliver agreed improvements in the early diagnosis and management of patients with dementia, specifically linked to the number of people on the GP dementia register.

  The Mental Health Collaborative is continuing to support NHS boards in their delivery of this target.

NHS Hospitals

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to NHS boards with regard to the monitoring of hygiene standards in hospitals.

Nicola Sturgeon: Good hand hygiene and a safer and cleaner patient environment are key to reducing the spread of infection in our hospitals and our HAI Task Force Delivery Plan is focused on improving standards and performance in both these areas.

  A range of guidance has been issued to NHS boards on hand hygiene and cleaning. Primarily, guidance on our zero tolerance policy to non hand hygiene compliance by staff was issued to all NHS Chief Executives on 26 January 2009 and local health board co-ordinators are specially trained to monitor and report on staff hand hygiene compliance. We recently increased the regularity of the monitoring of compliance from quarterly to bi-monthly to ensure even more rigorous monitoring applies.

  All NHS boards are required to follow the requirements set out in the recently revised NSS National Cleaning Services Specification to ensure hospital cleaning complies with national standards. NHS boards were recently asked by Health Facilities Scotland to submit action plans to demonstrate how they will secure continuous improvement towards full compliance.

  Training and education are key to improving hygiene standards. The main HAI training programme for NHS staff is the Cleanliness Champions programme - a comprehensive national programme which provides staff with the knowledge and understanding of why it is important to follow certain principles and procedures in the healthcare environment, and to recognise infection risks and the action that is appropriate. Cleanliness Champions act as role models for others to influence their behaviour in their workplace.

NHS Staff

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps the Scottish Emergencies Co-ordinating Committee and the eight strategic co-ordinating groups have taken to ensure that NHS retired doctors, nurses and technicians, with previous intensive care experience have been (a) listed, (b) contacted and (c) offered a training update.

Nicola Sturgeon: Deployment and redeployment of staff, including retired healthcare professionals, is a matter for NHS boards themselves. Central guidance for NHS boards on the workforce implications of pandemic flu was revised and reissued by the Scottish Government in August 2009. That guidance covers a range of workforce related issues such as the potential deployment of staff from other sources, including former and retired staff. NHS boards have been working on redeployment arrangements in line with the guidance and are expected to have the relevant plans in place by 1 October. Those plans will inform an action plan for education and training, to support NHS staff during the worst of the pandemic, which is being developed by a co-ordinating group led by NHS Education for Scotland.

National Conversation

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what officials were involved in the drafting and preparation of Europe and Foreign Affairs: Taking Forward our National Conversation and what the estimate is of the time it took.

Michael Russell: Officials from Culture, External Affairs and Tourism Directorate took the lead in drafting this paper and over the course of the past eight months of occasional work have sought input from time to time from a wide range of colleagues throughout the Scottish Government.

National Health Service

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26533 by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 September 2009, how many consultant outpatient appointments were not attended as a result of the failure of patient transport arrangements to collect the patient, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not collected centrally.

People with Learning Disabilities

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it proposes to do to improve support for carers of adults with learning disabilities, 7,793 of whom are, according to recent research by the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability, cared for by a family member.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is developing a Carers’ Strategy for Scotland, to be published in the first half of 2010. As part of strategy development we are considering a range of supports for all unpaid carers, including those who care for adults with learning disabilities.

  In partnership with COSLA, the Scottish Government is investing £4 million over three years to enable local authorities to deliver an additional 10,000 respite weeks by 2010-11. That can include respite care for people with learning disabilities, in accordance with local authorities’ assessed priorities. We have also provided health boards with £9 million over three years for Carer Information Strategies to support the identification of carers, to signpost carers to sources of support and to train carers.

  The Scottish Government is discussing a range of issues relevant to carers of adults with learning disabilities with a number of organisations, including ENABLE. In the meantime, the guidance being produced for local partnerships on measuring outcomes to inform planning of learning disability services will include important references to older carer issues.

Police

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been given to police boards and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) so that they are able to understand the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and respond to reports of irresponsible campers.

Roseanna Cunningham: The National Access Forum developed guidance, which was circulated to ACPOS as a corresponding member of the forum, on the management of camping. Individual police forces are able to engage with access authorities, in conjunction with local access forums, to help resolve antisocial or criminal behaviour associated with camping.

Prison Service

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it is considering for the future of prison visiting committees.

Kenny MacAskill: We are developing a more integrated role for prison visiting committees that better reflects modern offender management structures and are exploring the prospect of linking their functions with those of Her Majesty’s Prisons Inspectorate for Scotland.

Prison Service

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners are held in the open prison estate.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Open Estate population on 21 September 2009 was 244.

Prison Service

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have been held in the open prison estate in each month since September 2008.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  

 Month
Average Population


 September 2008
 348


 October 2008
 358


 November 2008
 355


 December 2008
 344


 January 2009
 316


 February 2009
 319


 March 2009
 316


 April 2009
 302


 May 2009
 297


 June 2009
 296


 July 2009
 277


 August 2009
 264


 September 2009
 252

Public Appointments

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it will make to the UK Government following the publication of an advert by defence contractor QinetiQ for a post to "undertake Range modernisation, integration of Command and Control functions for the Aberporth and Hebrides Ranges, and implement remote control and monitoring of much of the Hebrides Range T&E equipment" given that it has not yet announced the outcome of the consultation into the downgrading of the Hebrides Range.

Jim Mather: Jim Murphy, Secretary of State for Scotland, has subsequently announced on 15 September 2009 that the proposals would in fact be abandoned. It therefore appears that the appearance of that job advert has been overtaken by events.

Public Appointments

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of an advert by defence contractor QinetiQ for a post to "undertake Range modernisation, integration of Command and Control functions for the Aberporth and Hebrides Ranges, and implement remote control and monitoring of much of the Hebrides Range T&E equipment", whether it considers such a job advertisement to be consistent with the UK Government’s stated position that no decision has been taken on whether to accept QuinetiQ’s proposals for 125 job losses in Uist.

Jim Mather: Jim Murphy, Secretary of State for Scotland, has subsequently announced on 15 September 2009 that the proposals would in fact be abandoned. It therefore appears that the appearance of that job advert has been overtaken by events.

Rail Network

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the development study considering an hourly train service between Edinburgh and Dunbar and the building of new stations at East Linton and Reston will start.

Iain Gray (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the development study considering an hourly train service between Edinburgh and Dunbar and the building of new stations at East Linton and Reston will be completed.

Stewart Stevenson: First ScotRail will shortly be asked to commence the study which will examine the benefits of an hourly service to Dunbar and the development of a business case for enhanced services, including the potential for new stations at East Linton and Reston on the Edinburgh to Berwick-Upon-Tweed corridor more generally.

  The study is expected to take no more than a year and will follow STAG principles. The output of the study will inform future franchise specifications.

Rail Services

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what investment plans there are for train services in Perth and Kinross in the next 10 years.

Stewart Stevenson: The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) outlines a number of transport interventions that will improve trains services to Perth and Kinross.

  These include improvements to the Highland Main Line to reduce journey times and improve service frequencies between Perth and Inverness and improvements to the rail line between Aberdeen and the Central Belt, to reduce journey times.

Renewable Energy

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26566 by Stewart Stevenson on 10 September 2009, which local authorities have prepared spatial frameworks for wind farms of over 20 megawatts.

Stewart Stevenson: Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, Fife, Orkney and the Councils which are included in the Glasgow and Clyde Valley and Joint Ayrshire Structure Plan areas are all covered by spatial frameworks for wind farms over 20 megawatts. A further 12 authorities are still in the process of preparing spatial frameworks.

Roads

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated economic cost is of the road closure on the A83 due to the recent landslip at the Rest and be Thankful.

Stewart Stevenson: An economic evaluation of the recent two day closure has not been undertaken. Transport Scotland estimated that the previous twelve day closure in 2007 had a national economic cost, measured in terms of the changes in transport costs, of around £300,000 in 2008 prices. Measured on the same basis and accounting for seasonal factors the likely cost of the two day closure will be in the range of £50,000 to £100,000.

Roads

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the recommendations of the public local inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.

Stewart Stevenson: The reporters’ report following the Public Local Inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is currently under active consideration and we expect to make an announcement soon.

Scottish Government

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what subjects counsel’s opinion has been obtained by (a) it and (b) its agencies since May 2007; which advocates have provided the advice or opinion, and at what cost.

Kenny MacAskill: In accordance with the Scottish Ministerial Code, the Scottish Government does not reveal the sources or content of the legal advice which it obtains.

Soil Focus Group

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in establishing a soil focus group.

Roseanna Cunningham: The first meeting of the Soil Focus Group is scheduled to take place on 11 November 2009.

Teachers

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Renfrewshire Council’s policy of removing all full-time teachers and head teachers from nurseries and pre-5 establishments is in line with Scottish Government guidance.

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Renfrewshire Council’s policy of removing all full-time teachers and head teachers from nurseries and pre-5 establishments is in line with Scottish Government policy.

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Renfrewshire Council’s policy of removing all full-time teachers and head teachers from nurseries and pre-5 establishments is in line with the Scottish National Party’s manifesto commitments.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering access to a teacher for all pre-school children, but it is for local authorities to take decisions on teacher deployment.

  Renfrewshire Council have adopted a peripatetic teacher model in their nursery provision. The Pre-School and Childcare statistics for 2008 showed that 49.4% of pre-school children in Renfrewshire had access to a teacher. The figures for 2009, published yesterday, show that this figure has now increased to 62.3% of pre-school children.

  In May 2009, we published guidance, jointly with COSLA, for providers on delivering access to a teacher for all pre-school children. This makes clear that there is currently no research evidence to inform setting of a minimum threshold, expressed in FTE terms, for access to a teacher, and that peripatetic teacher support which contributes positively to the learning experience for children is one model which may be adopted.

Teachers

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance has been offered to local authorities about the employment of supply teachers and, if so, what guidance.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, the tripartite body responsible for pay and conditions of service for teachers, has developed a Code of Practice on the Use of Temporary Contracts which aims to assist councils in managing their staffing requirements in a co-ordinated way and ensure that employees on temporary contracts are not treated less favourably than permanent staff.

  In addition two of the recommendations of the Teacher Employment Working Group report published last year referred to post probationers and supply work. These are:

  Recommendation 4: Local authority employers should wherever possible use post-probation teachers to fill supply vacancies.

  Recommendation 5: Local authorities should consider making more use of permanent supply pools to ensure stable employment opportunities are available to post-probation teachers.

  The purpose of these recommendations was to help to develop more opportunities for post-probationer teachers. The recommendations on supply are for local authorities as the employers of teachers to take forward while bearing in mind both employment and age legislation.

Teachers

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that priority should be given to either ex-probationers or recent graduates in the allocation of teaching supply work.

Keith Brown: Two of the recommendations of the Teacher Employment Working Group report published last year referred to post probationers and supply work. These were:

  Recommendation 4: Local authority employers should wherever possible use post-probation teachers to fill supply vacancies.

  Recommendation 5: Local authorities should consider making more use of permanent supply pools to ensure stable employment opportunities are available to post-probation teachers.

  The purpose of both recommendations was to help to develop more employment opportunities for post-probationer teachers. The Scottish Government accepted these recommendations along with all the other recommendations of the report. The recommendations on supply are for local authorities as the employers of teachers to take forward while bearing in mind age discrimination legislation. The recommendations aimed at local authorities were drawn to their attention in a letter issued by officials on 12 December 2008.

Teachers

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the prioritisation by local authorities of ex-probationers or recent graduates when allocating teaching supply work would comply with the provisions of employment law.

Keith Brown: Two of the recommendations of the Teacher Employment Working Group report published last year referred to post probationers and supply work. These are:

  Recommendation 4: Local authority employers should wherever possible use post-probation teachers to fill supply vacancies.

  Recommendation 5: Local authorities should consider making more use of permanent supply pools to ensure stable employment opportunities are available to post-probation teachers.

  The purpose of these recommendations is to help to develop more opportunities for those newly qualified by reducing the use of retired teachers in supply. The recommendations on supply are for local authorities as the employers of teachers to take forward while bearing in mind both employment and age legislation.

Teachers

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities can choose to ignore past work experience when allocating teaching supply work.

Keith Brown: The recruitment and deployment of supply teachers are matters for local authority employers to determine.

Teachers

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the equal opportunities requirements are in relation to the allocation of teaching supply work.

Keith Brown: The Code of Practice on the Use of Temporary Contracts for Teachers, developed by the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, the body responsible for teachers’ pay and conditions of service states that employees on temporary contracts should not be treated any less favourably than those on permanent contracts. The Code takes into account the Employment Rights Act 1996, as amended by the Employment Relations Act 1999 and Employment Act 2002, as well as the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) and Fixed Term Workers Regulations (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) 2002.

  In addition two of the recommendations of the Teacher Employment Working Group report published last year referred to post probationers and supply work. These are:

  Recommendation 4: Local authority employers should wherever possible use post-probation teachers to fill supply vacancies.

  Recommendation 5: Local authorities should consider making more use of permanent supply pools to ensure stable employment opportunities are available to post-probation teachers.

  The purpose of these recommendations is to help to develop more opportunities for those newly qualified by reducing the use of retired teachers in supply. The recommendations on supply are for local authorities as the employers of teachers to take forward while bearing in mind both employment and age legislation.

Teachers

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take immediate steps to tackle the situation for post-probation teachers across Scotland that has resulted in only 4 of over 320 probationers employed in Renfrewshire having a full-time job with Renfrewshire Council.

Keith Brown: The employment of teachers is a matter for local authorities. The Scottish Government is currently providing local government in Scotland with record levels of funding of £23 billion for the period 2008-10. We have also taken steps to rebalance the supply and demand for teachers by reducing the proposed intakes to initial teacher education courses this year by 500 places.

Telecommunications

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of phone boxes that have been removed in Perth and Kinross since 1999.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of phone boxes that have been removed in Angus since 1999.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of phone boxes that have been removed in Stirling since 1999.

Jim Mather: Policy relating to the removal of public phone boxes is reserved to the UK government and is governed by regulations prescribed by Ofcom to BT. Information relating to the number of phone boxes which have been removed is not held by the Scottish Government.